


A certain step (Towards falling in love)

by targaryen_melodrama



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, POV Sam Wilson, just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:01:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23644285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/targaryen_melodrama/pseuds/targaryen_melodrama
Summary: Bucky smiles, but quickly goes back to being concerned, tugging at Sam's hand again. “What’s going on?”“It’s nothing.”It reallyisnothing, is the thing. Nothing important, nothing worth ruining one of their few free weekends.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson
Comments: 12
Kudos: 76





	A certain step (Towards falling in love)

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta'ed, feel free to point out typos, etc.

“You getting paid to do that?” 

Sam reaches for the remote on the coffee table and turns down the TV’s volume like he had actually been listening to whatever’s on. “Paid to do what?”

Bucky putters around some more in the kitchen, probably looking for a snack—though they’d _just_ eaten—before answering. “Sigh.” Sam rolls his eyes and Bucky continues like he’d seen him do it. “Honestly sweetheart, keep going. We might be able to afford that new car your sister’s been eyeing, get her an early Christmas gift.”

“Alright, alright. Point taken.” Sam tries to focus on picking a channel, or at least committing to Netflix and find something he’s not too annoyed about rewatching when he moves to bring his legs on the coffee table (which he allows himself to do about once a month) and realizes he can’t bring his right leg up along with his left. 

The sigh makes it out without Sam even realizing it, and a second one follows closely after just as Bucky walks into their living room, an eyebrow raised and a bowl of chips under his arm. 

“Hey. You okay?” He sits next to Sam, puts the bowl on their coffee table and puts his hand on Sam’s knee. 

“I’m fine, Barnes, don’t pay me any mind.” Sam bites his lip to prevent anything else from coming out, and grabs Bucky’s hand. Before he can pick up the remote with his free hand, Bucky tugs at him. 

“What?”

“I’ve never seen you be in a mood after eating so much food. Free food, too.”

Sam snorts. “You’d be surprised. Ask my mom about my teenage years next Sunday, you’re in for a treat.”

Bucky smiles, but quickly goes back to being concerned, tugging at his hand again. “What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Sam.”

It really _is_ nothing, is the thing. Nothing important, nothing worth ruining one of their few free weekends. Sam had woken up with sunshine on his face, and despite the fact that today was officially his third week being benched because of his injury, he’d been determined to make the most of it. He hadn’t even bothered trying to sleep in, and had gone outside as soon as he’d been awake. There was just enough wind to remind him that spring was still teasing them at most, but the blue skies and sunshine made him think that maybe, _maybe_ , the awful month he’d been having would be over soon. 

He’d believed it until about an hour ago, when Rhodey had mentioned over brunch that the last fitting for the groomsmen’s suits was scheduled for next week, since the wedding was only three weeks away.

“Sweetheart,” Bucky says as he brushes a kiss on Sam’s temple. “Talk to me.”

“It’s silly.”

“I know that, otherwise you would’ve said something already instead of pouting.”

“I’m...disappointed, I guess.”

“About?”

Sam nods towards his right leg, stuck in a gigantic, inconvenient boot.

“The kids are managing without you,” Bucky points out. “And you’ve been disappointed about this for three weeks now, so I’m not sure that’s all it is.”

“God, you’re annoying when you’re perceptive.”

“Only when I’m perceptive?”

“I’d take the compliment and run, Barnes.” Sam sighs again for what he hopes is the last time today, because he’s getting pretty annoyed at himself, if he’s being honest. “No, that’s not all it is. Rhodey’s wedding’s in three weeks.”

Bucky frowns, but there’s a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “You wanna object?”

“ _God_ no. Maria would kill me. That’s not it. I just wish I’d been out of this thing before then.”

“I’m pretty sure Rhodes is just happy you’re safe and you can make it, Sam.”

“I know he is. I just...I can’t do much with this on, and,” Sam adds, finally letting it out, “it’s gonna be our first date.”

“Is it?” Bucky looks up for a second, then nods and smiles. “It is. Is that what you’re disappointed about? That our first date is gonna be at Rhodey’s wedding?” Bucky looks confused. “I can call a restaurant and make a reservation for tonight if you want.”

Bucky’s ridiculously sweet when he wants to, which happens to be, as Sam learned three months ago, quite often. Sam smiles despite himself, reaches a hand to stroke Bucky’s cheek before he even realizes what he’s doing. 

“No, no, but thank you, Buck. I’m fine with Rhodey’s wedding being our first real date, I just wish I wasn’t injured.” Sam’s leg is actually the least of his worries when his shoulder starts to throb or when his wrist wants to act up. “I guess I just wanted it to go well, you know? Not fine, or good enough, but well. We haven’t had that,” Sam says quietly. “Not since we got together. Not really.”

Bucky’s quiet for a while, and Sam can see he has his thinking face on, the one Sam usually sees when they’re wrapped up in each other on the couch or in bed, talking or just resting. 

“Why wouldn’t it go well? You worried about having to leave early? About having to take things slow?”

“Slow? I won’t be able to _do_ much of anything at all.”

Bucky hums under his breath, then stands up and heads to the entrance of their apartment. He comes back wearing the dress shoes he bought last week. 

“What are you doing? And I’m pretty sure you didn’t have the time to grab socks, and if not—gross.”

“I didn’t,” Bucky says with a grin. Then, mock serious, he takes a step forward and extends a hand to Sam. “Can I have this dance, if you please, Mr. Wilson?”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not.”

“You saw how long it took me to walk earlier.”

“I did. Will you do me the honour?”

“How?” 

Bucky doesn’t even look discouraged or even annoyed by his stalling, and Sam knows he’s screwed. He moves his hand forward, and Sam takes it with a sigh, pushing himself off the couch with his free hand and standing still in front of Bucky. 

“Put your feet on mine.”

“You’re _kidding_ ,” Sam says again. “I’m gonna crush your feet.”

“You’re really not,” Bucky says, and Sam knows he’s doing his best to withhold a sigh of his own. “Come on, sweetheart.”

Sam briefly wonders whether his 2014 self would believe this is what his six-month long search for the Winter Soldier led to, but when Bucky brings Sam’s arms up and starts leading them, the thought immediately fades away. 

He looks up at Bucky and can’t contain his smile. “You didn’t tell me you’d taught Fred Astaire back in the day.”

“We’ve already slept together, Wilson, you can stop it with the flattery.”

“I don’t think I will,” Sam says, and leans up to kiss Bucky’s flushed cheek. “No wonder all the dames wanted to make time with you. You were the Gene Kelly of Flatbush.”

Bucky snorts. “He was a bit past my time, so I don’t think so.” He leans down, gives Sam a sweet, lingering kiss that warms Sam from head to toe. When Bucky leans back, Sam moves forward, kissing him again, before leaning his head on Bucky’s shoulder. 

“See?" Bucky says softly. Sam lets himself enjoy the rumble of Bucky’s voice. "You’re gonna be fine. We’ll be fine. I know you know it, deep down. I know you know I don’t care whether our first real date’s at a five star restaurant or a stakeout.”

“I do know,” Sam admits. “Still. I wanted it to be nice. Wanted to be able to dance with you.”

Sam feels Bucky’s smile on his temple. “And aren’t we dancing, sweetheart?”

Sam closes his eyes. His knee’s not doing so well, and he’s gonna have to sit soon. Still. 

“Yeah. Yeah we are.”

**Author's Note:**

> Friendship ended with quarantine-angst, now quarantine-fluff is my best friend.
> 
> Title from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, the full quote being: "To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love; and very lively hopes of Mr Bingley's heart were entertained."
> 
> I am on [Tumblr](http://targaryenmelodrama.tumblr.com) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/andrea_b_tweets) !


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